The Great North Air Ambulance Service now carry ultrasound equipment on board their aircraft and rapid response car thanks to readers of the Cumberland News.
Readers are celebrating reaching the £20,000 target in the SkyCall Appeal for the charity.
In just four months they’ve raised enough money to buy two portable ultrasounds which medics have already used to make life-saving decisions.
The ultrasounds – the size of a smartphone – are giving medics a clearer picture of the injuries or needs of patients.
Now, the newspaper wants to make sure they have even more cutting-edge gear and hopes raise another £40,000 to buy two state-of-the-art defibrillators to carry on-board.
The defibrillators they hope to buy are lighter and more technologically advanced than the kit currently carried by the crew.
Grahame Pickering, chief executive of GNAAS, said: “We’ve amazed by the response to SkyCall and we’re absolutely thrilled that we’ve been given the opportunity to renew our partnership with the Cumberland News.
“This money will make a real difference to people’s lives and will without a doubt benefit the whole of Cumbria.”